The group, which operates in northwestern Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan, has fallen out of favor for such attacks. A 2009 video that emerged of the flogging of a teenage girl in the Swat Valley enraged Pakistanis.

Kainat appreciated attention from hospital visitors -- from reporters to government officials -- and was gratified to emphasize the need for girls' education.

"I can't believe what's happened, but I am happy everyone is here to see me," she said.

She can remember just a snippet of the attack. She said she was talking to her friend about an Urdu-language exam when a male approached.

"He asked, 'Who is Malala?' When someone told him, he started firing. Sir, because of this, Malala suddenly fell," she said.